South Luangwa National Park

South Luangwa National Park is the best safari location in Zambia. Located in the Luangwa River valley the park supports great numbers of hippo, crocodile giraffe, elephant and buffalo. The park is also the most well-known walking safari destination in Africa.

This is a seasonal area with June to October being the best time to visit. Most camps and lodges close for the green season as rains and black cotton soil make driving through the park maddening and next to impossible.

The central part of the park offers some of the some very well put together camps and lodges near the Mfuwe gate along the Luangwa River. This area is also the most visited during high season so we tend to combine a stop here with a camp or two further afield to round out the experience. This central part of the park is one of the only areas that can remain open during the green season.

As you move north, you see fewer people and also encounter the most interesting walking safari options. We commonly book clients into a circuit where they have the options of talking walking safaris from camp to camp which is a spectacular way to see the flora and fauna. Some our favorite camps have several wildlife hides perfect for avid photographers.

In the southern section of the park, there are even fewer visitors. Here there are also some fantastic bush camps and walking trails. Like the northern sections, these camp are typically only open in dry season as this part of the park has fewer established roads for driving safaris.